Holding down device for ice cans



NOV. 17, 1936. Q M KLEUCKER 2,061,381

HOLDING DOWN DEVICE FOR ICE CANS Filed April l, 1933 Patented Nov. 17,1936 UNITED STATE- sie F Si

4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to ice-making equipment and moreparticularly to improved means for holding down ice cans yin a brinetank of usual commercial ice-making systems.

It is well known that ice cans float in the brine of usual commercialice-making systems on account of the specific gravity of the brine beingdifferent from that of the water in the ice-making can. Hence it isnecessary to hold the can down in the brine during the freezingoperation, and it is one object of my invention to provide an improvedcan holding down device whereby the can may be placed in the brine andreadily and conveniently be held effectively below its iioating levelwhile at the same time maintaining the can in substantially verticalposition so that the top of the ice cake will be substantially at rightangles to the longitudinal axis of the cake.

To accomplish the above object my improvedv can holding down deviceincludes one or more flanged, grooved, hooked or equivalent memberhaving an undersurface whereby the can may be pushed down into thebrineby hand until the top edge of the can may be slipped beneath theflanged or grooved element whereupon by releasing the downward pressureon the can the brine will buoy the can and hold it against the flange orwithin the groove, it being understood that such flanged or groovedelements are supported on any suitable stationary members, preferablythe can supporting and spacing framework over -the brine tank. It willof course be understood that the term device refers broadly to any orall elements which may be used with any one can to properly hold, guideor otherwise support the same to obtain the desired results.

Another object is to provide improved means for insuring proper guidanceof the lower end of the ice can when being pushed down into the brinepreparatory to having the edge of the can pushed beneath my improvedholding undersurface.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent to those skilled inthe art from the fol, lowing description of the accompanying drawing inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a brine tank showing my improvedmeans for holding the ice cans in position;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken substantially on the line2-2 of Figs. 1 and 3;

Fig. 3 is a perspective looking down on the framework disposed over thebrine tank and (Cl. (i2-157) having my improved holding down means builtinto the framework.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention which is shown hereinmerely for purposes of illustrating the principle of the invention andof showing one specific form among possible others that the inventionmight take, I have pro.

vided abrine tank whose bottom, generally indicated at l, has usualsides and ends and contains a suitable brine solution for freezing waterin ice cans generally indicated at t. These ice cans may be of anystandard construction preferably of sheet metal with their upper endopen to provide a top edge 3.

To maintain the cans in proper spaced relation in the brine tank andalso to form a necessary support for my improved holding down means, Ihave provided framework as shown in Fig. 3 comprising a series ofparallel preferably wooden members il connected by a series of parallelcross members 5. 'Vertical cleats 6 are cut to conform to an offsetshoulder in one side of cross member 5 while a cleat 'd fits thestraight surface of the other side thereof, the cleats being securedthereto. Thus two cans can be received within each space 8 as shown moreclearly in Fig. 2.

The cross members 5 are provided with a suitable can engagingundersurface which may be in the form of an abutting surface formed by ashoulder of a recessed portion 9 but is preferably in the form of ahook, or grooved member I0 any of which constitutes broadly a ange forengaging the top edge 3 of an ice can. It is preferable that such aflange is disposed within and removably held by screws in the recess 9to make a more compact arrangement and also protect the flange againstinjury during insertion of the can in the framework. There is preferablyonly one clip to each can although if desired such a single clip may beextended for substantially the full width of the can such as between thedividing cleats and frame members fi or a plurality of such clips may beused at spaced points therebetween but in any of these cases such aplurality of clips for a single can, constitute a single holding downdevice therefor.

To properly guide and center the cans as they are pushed down into thebrine, there is provided a series of inverted preferably V-shape bracesI l bolted or otherwise secured to the floor or bottom I of the brinetank. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, these braces engage the short sides ofthe cans preferably at an intermediate point thereof.

Operation-The ice cans 2 are inserted between cross members 5 and cleats6 and member 4, the lower end of the can being guided by members Il asthe can is pushed down into the brine. I take advantage of the buoyanteffect of the brine on the cans, even when filled with water, to holdthe can at a given floating level. The holding down force is .providedby flanged elements I0 which have a slightly anged or grooved portion I2under which one edge of the can may be placed. The buoyant effect of thebrine causes the can to be snugly held against the undersurface of thegroove or flange I2 thereby possibly allowing the can to pivot aboutthis surface although the tilted can is controlled or restricted by thelower end of the can engaging the right hand guide Il. Due to theelement it] being set within recess 8, there is no danger of. injuringthe ange or holding groove when the can is being inserted through theframework. Thus my improved construction affords minimum maintenance andat the same time provides a simple, economical, effective and Convenientmeans for holding down the ice cans.

It will of course be understood by those skilled in the art that variouschanges may be made in the details of construction and arrangement ofparts without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth inthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. A holding down device for ice cans placed in a brine tank comprising,in Combination, a frame member disposed over the brine and having arecess which is formed by removing a lower corner of. said frame memberand is of a size so as to be adapted to receive spaced portions of theedge of a can, and means disposed within said recess for engaging saidedge of a can placed beneath the shoulder of said recess and buoyed bybrine in the tank, said means and frame having sumcient clearance with acan that it may be freely inserted downwardly into the brine and thenshifted laterally to effect its engagement with said means.

2. A holding down device for ice cans disposed in a brine tankcomprising, in combination, a frame member disposed over the brine andhaving a recess in its lower portion, and an immovable and permanentflanged member disposed in said recess to be engaged by a can whenbuoyed by brine, said frame and flanged means having suflicientclearance with a can that it may be freely inserted downwardly into thebrine and then shifted laterally to effect its engagement with saidhanged means.

3. A holding down device for ice cans disposed in a brine tankcomprising, in combination, a framework having pairs of parallel framemembers disposed at right angles to each other to form a compartmentsuitable for a plurality of cans, a dividing element carried by at leastone of said frame members thereby forming individual ice can spaces, andmeans providing an immovable and permanent undersurface engageable witha top edge of an ice can for holding the same at a given level when thecan is buoyed by brine in the tank, said under surface and frameworkhaving suflicient clearance with a can that it may be freely inserteddownwardly into the brine and then shifted laterally to effect itsengagement with said under surface.

4. A holding down device for ice cans placed in a brine tank comprising,in combination, a xed support disposed over the brine tank, flangedmeans immovably and permanently carried by said support to provide aholding surface for engaging the can When buoyed by the brine, and meansdisposed in the bottom of the brine tank for guiding the lower end of anice can and controlling tilting thereof about said flanged means, saidsupport and flanged means having suflicient clearance with a can that itmay be freely inserted downwardly into the brine and then shiftedlaterally to effect its engagement with Said flanged means.

GEO. M. KLEUCKER.

